How to Replace Front Strut Assembly 07-11 Toyota Camry

Difficulty: Advanced · About 110 min · Toyota Camry

Replace the front strut assembly, including the sway bar link, on a 2007-2011 Toyota Camry.

Steps

1. Remove the wheel

   Pry off the hub cap, loosen the lug nuts with the car on the ground, raise and support it, then remove the lug nuts and wheel.

2. Remove the sway bar link

   Remove the ABS brake line's 12mm bolt and pry its plastic clip off the strut, move the caliper and ABS line aside, spray and wire-brush the upper sway bar link nut, hold it with a 6mm hex socket and breaker bar while loosening it with a 17mm wrench (gripping the ball joint with locking pliers if it spins), remove the 17mm nut, then move the sway bar out of the strut.

3. Remove the old strut

   Remove the two lower 22mm strut nuts, remove the bottom bolt while leaving the top one in, evenly loosen the three outer 14mm top nuts and remove them, lift the strut to pull the bottom bolt free, then remove the strut.

4. Install the new strut

   Insert it into the strut tower and hand-tighten the top 14mm bolts, lift the knuckle into the strut, insert the two bottom 22mm bolts and hand-tighten their nuts, evenly tighten the top 15mm nuts and torque them to about 63 ft-lb, then tighten and torque the bottom bolts to about 155 ft-lb while counter-holding them.

5. Reinstall the sway bar link

   Slide it onto the strut, tighten its nuts with an 18mm socket and torque them to about 55 ft-lb, tighten the ABS line's 12mm bolt, then clip the lines back onto the knuckle.

6. Reinstall the wheel

   Slide it onto the hub, start the lug nuts with their tapered side facing the wheel, lower the car, torque the lug nuts to about 76 ft-lb in a star pattern, then line up and push the hub cap onto the wheel.

Check your vehicle’s repair manual for exact specifications and fit.